New Sensation
by Maran Zelde
Summary: Dib and Lilo set out to capture the Nightmarchers on camera, but an accident leads them toward an astonishing discovery. Meanwhile, Tak returns to Earth with a new plan for conquest. DibxLilo. Sequel to "Policy of Truth."
1. Story Time

A/N: The Invader Zim special on Netflix gave me the inspiration to write a sequel to "Policy of Truth." I figured that if there's still interest in IZ after all these years, maybe there's still interest in my crossover fanfic.

Also, while "Policy of Truth" hinted at the possibility of a DibxLilo ship, this story will be much more overt. The romance will stay age appropriate, however.

* * *

New Sensation

_Well that's the reason why I'm here  
__Hey hey  
__Are you ready for a new sensation, new sensation?  
__Right now  
__Gonna take you on a new sensation, new sensation_

-INXS, "New Sensation"

_Pelekai residence_

"Two Earth years ago, the Almighty Tallest sent me to this planet to infiltrate it and weaken it for conquest, or so I thought. Then, seven Earth weeks ago, they called me away to neutralize a threat in Star Command in the Galactic Alliance. Zim joined their training program and destroyed their training base with such ease, I even amazed myself!

"I returned to Earth to finish what I started here. I needed a new base of operations, because my old base in Michigan was destroyed. It was all part of my elaborate plan – you wouldn't understand. So I scanned Earth for sufficiently advanced technology for me to use, and I found the Galactic Federation ship with Turan experiments and other neat junk inside. It was just sitting there out in the open, like a squirfberry on a vine! I flew away with it and hid it in that canyony place on this island. But then the fuzzy blue and gold Turan experiments tracked me down, captured me and took the ship back! They called that large human from the Earth government, and he took away my gloves. He said that Earth is under the protection of the Galactic Federation, which I guess explains why one of their ships is here. The human called the Almighty Tallest to ask them to take me back to Irk, and . . ."

Zim caught his breath and hesitated. This part of the story was difficult for him to tell. Fiddling with his ill-fitting human gloves, he glanced around the living room. The Turan experiment, Stitch, sat on the rug in the middle of the floor, constructing a likeness of Zim's Voot Runner out of Blockos, while the human male, David, sprawled on the sofa, sipping a glass of lemonade.

"Tallest did not want Zim," supplied Stitch, glancing up from his toy.

Zim let out a short sigh. "No. They just handed Zim over to the Federation like I was some kind of inferior criminal! And now I'm not allowed to leave this tiny island for five more months! And the worst part is that the Dib has been even more insufferable than ever! He acts like he's my parole officer, and he thinks he's being _nice_ about it! It's disgusting!" Zim shuddered.

"I already knew the part of the story after you stole Jumba and Pleakley's ship," said David in a calm tone. "But it was interesting to hear it from your point of view, cuz."

Zim held up a claw. "I am not your cuz or your brah, so stop calling me that!"

"When you're on Kauai, you're ohana, whether you like it or not," replied David with a shrug.

"I hate Kauai!" Zim clenched his fists. "Except that canyony place. That part isn't so horrible. When I'm there, I can forget I'm on a planet covered with water and humans," he added, letting his hands hang loose at his sides.

"Ah, Waimea Canyon," said David with a fond smile. "Tourists come to Kauai for the beaches, but the canyon is its hidden gem. You won't find views like that anywhere else in the Pacific."

Zim narrowed his eyes. "I didn't ask you to be my tour guide, human. And what is the point of tourism, anyway? People go someplace just to look at it and say they've been there?"

"People want to escape from the daily grind, just like you want to escape from this island." David lifted his glass to his lips.

"But humans aren't even leaving their own planet!" Zim waved his arms. "It's so stupid!"

"I can see how it would seem stupid to a space alien," responded David, still refusing to get riled up, "but a lot of people come from parts of the Earth that are far from the ocean, like Michigan. All they need is a different view."

"And where would you go to get a different view?" asked Zim.

David's eyes widened. "No one's asked me that before – besides Nani, of course."

Zim held up his hand with his palm out. "I don't actually care, I just want to fill the silence."

"Well," David said evenly, "you still asked. I'd probably go somewhere in space, now that I know there are so many planets and creatures out there." He rubbed his chin. "Are there any whales in space?"

A line formed between Zim's eyes. "What kind of stupid question is that?"

The human slumped, seeming a little crushed for the first time.

"Of _course_ there are space whales!" finished Zim.

"Ih," confirmed Stitch, snapping a Blocko brick into place. "Whales swim through space."

David's deep brown eyes lit up. "Then that's where I wanna go – where the space whales are."

"Family road trip?" suggested Stitch, holding the model ship over his head.

The human's smile became wistful. "Nani's always so busy, and the peak tourism season's just starting. But Lilo does have spring break next week. Maybe you and I can convince Nani to take a short family vacation to space. What do you think, Stitch?"

Stitch nodded.

"As for Dib being insufferable, I wouldn't worry about him too much, Zim. I think Lilo will keep him distracted," he added with a wink.

"Do you have something in your eye, human?"

_Lilo's Room_

"And they say any mortal who looks at the Nightmarchers in defiance will die horribly."

Lilo sat cross-legged on her bed, with her friend Dib facing her. She loved telling him ghost stories, because no one appreciated them the way Dib did. Granted, she couldn't see his reaction very well at the moment, since the lights were turned off to set the mood for the scary story.

No other reason.

Dib's glasses reflected the dim light that filtered through the windows, hiding his eyes and giving him a mysterious air. "Wow! Now I _have_ to see them!"

Lilo giggled. "I figured you'd say that."

Just then, the lift door in the center of the floor opened up, and light streamed up through it. Pleakley ascended through the trapdoor, the light from underneath casting eerie shadows on his face.

Lilo and Dib both yelped in surprise.

"Lilo Pelekai!"

Lilo winced as Pleakley clapped his hands twice to turn on the ceiling lights. "We talked about this! If you have a boy in your room, the door needs to stay open. And don't say Stitch is a boy!" added Pleakley, anticipating Lilo's argument. "I meant a human boy and you know it."

Squinting against the sudden brightness of the overhead lights, Dib asked, "How many times have you given this lecture?"

"Apparently, not enough times." Pleakley folded his boneless arms. "And why was the light off?"

"I was just telling Dib a ghost story," said Lilo, lowering her head and keeping her eyes half shut.

Grinning, Dib added, "Yeah, Lilo was telling me about the Nightmarchers!"

Pleakley huffed. "Not the Nightmarchers! I ruined a good trio of shoes trying to find them a few years ago. Besides, they give me the heeby-jeebies!"

"I know! That's what makes them exciting!"

Pleakley's eye widened. "Wait, that's really all you two were talking about?"

"Yes!" Lilo raised her head and waved her arm. "That's what we've been telling you!"

Pleakley smiled. "That's not so bad! Carry on. I'll just leave the door open."

The two young teens were silent for a moment as they listened to the mechanical lift lowering Pleakley to the original house.

Then Lilo pushed her long hair behind her shoulders and slid toward Dib until their knees were almost touching, and she whispered as quietly as she could. "Let's go see the Nightmarchers."

Dib raised his eyebrows. "Right now?"

"No!" she waved her hands in front of her. "The Nightmarchers are the most active in the last half of the lunar cycle," she explained, glancing through the picture window at the round moon. "Tomorrow the moon will start waning. We'll have a better chance of seeing them if we wait till then."

"That makes sense," said Dib before tilting his head. "Why are we whispering?"

Lilo looked at the circular opening in the floor before turning her gaze back to Dib. "Because I don't want anyone else to know about it."

Dib was taken aback. "But Stitch goes everywhere with us."

"Exactly. We've never gone anywhere with just the two of us."

"Oh. That's true." A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I'd like that. And we won't need Stitch to protect us from the carnivorous vines now that Gaz has gotten rid of them."

"I know!" Lilo clenched her fists and held them together in front of her chest. "I can finally hike the Ali'i Trail and get scared by the Nightmarchers without getting scared by the vines."

"So do you want to meet tomorrow at sunset?" asked Dib.

"Works for me," said Lilo with a nod. "Let's meet at the entrance to the trail. Bring your camera and a poncho in case it rains."

"One of the signs," Dib said knowingly. "I can't wait!"

* * *

A/N: Somehow Pleakley is this story's Hopper (from Stranger Things, in case you haven't seen it).

In the L&S episode "Belle," Lilo says that the Nightmarchers turn people to stone, but I couldn't find any other version of the legend that specifically mentions people turning into stone. So Lilo's version in this fic is closer to the ones I found on the internet, which I think is better for a ghost story.

Star Command in the Galactic Alliance is a holdover from the fanfic series that inspired this one, which was actually a three-way crossover between L&S, IZ, and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. Since I made this fanfic series my own thing, and since I don't really feel like doing anything with Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, it will only get a brief mention every once in a while. However, more and more people are pushing the Disney Cinematic Universe theory (even Disney itself, to some degree), so I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that Buzz Lightyear exists in the same universe as Lilo.

Yes, Dib and Zim lived in Michigan in this fanfic's continuity – for no other reason than one of the episodes ("The Wettening," IIRC) zooms in on Earth where they are and it appears to home in on the Great Lakes region.


	2. Hidden Dangers

_Sound of the drums  
Beatin' in my heart  
The thunder of guns  
Tore me apart  
You've been thunderstruck_

-AC/DC, "Thunderstruck"

_The next day_

_Kokaua_ _Marketplace_

Nani strolled through the outdoor marketplace, carrying the backpack she used instead of a purse and and pulling her wheeled vinyl shopping bag behind her. Her shift at the canoe and kayak rental business had ended, and she was currently buying groceries, which for some reason always included two baguettes that poked out of the top of the bag. No one ever finished eating them before they went stale, but she still felt compelled to pick up at least one loaf every time she purchased food for the household.

As she pondered her selection of baked goods, Zim's robot ran out of the Krazy Taco at the end of the street. Nani recognized him not by sight, but by his ear-piercing shriek (since Zim used the masculine pronoun for the robot, Nani followed suit).

And so she sped up and jog-walked toward the screaming robot.

Darting across the street, GIR headed straight for the shave ice cart. "Hiii!" he trilled to the vendor. "I want a big purple one!"

The man behind the cart peered down at him with the mixture of bemusement and unease people tended to feel whenever they witnessed anything that tested the limits of Jumba's anti-detection device.

Running up behind GIR, Nani lifted him up, hoping that the physical contact would both calm and control him. "What do you think of my ventriloquist act?" she loudly asked the vendor. "Pretty good, huh?"

The man blinked twice before relaxing his face. "Oh, I see! Can you make your dog talk without moving your mouth?"

"Uh, sure!" she chirped through clenched teeth. "One big purple shave ice and one small red one, please!"

"Say, that was pretty good! You almost got your p's right!" praised the vendor.

"Thanks." Nani sighed and handed him some cash.

GIR squealed in delight as the man placed his shave ice in his hands . . . or paws or whatever. She hurriedly carried him away from the cart as soon as she saw that he was about to stuff the entire thing in his mouth. It wasn't easy to hold the robot, her shave ice, and the handle of her shopping bag. However, GIR soon relieved Nani of her icy burden.

"Red's my favorite flavor!" he cried.

"GIR," she muttered, "you can't talk while your in your dog disguise. Dogs don't talk!"

"I forgot!" he said simply.

"You're still talking."

"Meow!" he replied.

Nani groaned, wondering how Zim put up with him. It wasn't as if GIR listened to Zim either, except when Zim triggered the robot's "duty mode," and that itself was unpredictable.

"Hello, Miss Nani!" called a friendly voice.

Turning, Nani saw Mrs. Edmonds with Mertle and another young girl, perhaps a friend. Nani had always thought Mrs. Edmonds was pleasant enough, unlike her daughter, but since the woman was fifteen years her senior, they'd never been close friends.

"Aloha, Mrs. Edmonds," Nani said politely.

"Did you get a new dog?" The redhead walked toward them. "He's adorable! What breed is he?"

"I think he's just a mutt. And he's not really my dog, he's Zim's. They're both staying with us for a few months."

"Oh, I see." Mrs. Edmonds petted GIR's head. "Is Zim another one of your cousins?"

It was easiest just to say yes. "Yes. On Pleakley's side." She knew it was a bad idea to elaborate as soon as the sentence tumbled out of her mouth. Now she'd have to coordinate lies with the rest of her family.

"Well, you're not the only one who has a new family member in your house." Mrs. Edmonds stepped back and placed one hand on Mertle's back, and the other on the back of the second girl. "I'd like you to meet my new daughter, Tak."

Nani's jaw dropped. "Did you say _daughter_?"

The girl leaned against Mrs. Edmonds. "I just _love_ my new mommy!"

Nani gazed down at the girl. She spoke like a British person trying to do a Midwestern accent.

The girl appeared to be about Mertle's age, and judging by the pallor of her skin, she had just arrived from either the Midwest or the UK. Indigo hair fell in front of her eyes, which had heavy makeup for a girl of twelve or thirteen. Aside from her strange accent, there was something off about Tak that Nani couldn't quite put her finger on. Maybe it was the symbol on the front of her shirt – it seemed so familiar.

GIR interrupted her musings. "Heeeey, I know–"

Nani jerked in panic and took GIR's hand in hers and moved the shave ice toward his face. "GIR, eat your shave ice _quietly_, please."

For some reason, Tak sighed.

"Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Tak." Nani flashed her an uncomfortable smile.

"And I am _ecstatic_ to meet you, Miss Nani!" The girl was so enthusiastic that Nani was sure she was being sarcastic. No one was ever ecstatic to meet Nani.

"Isn't she a sweetheart?" Mrs. Edmonds squeezed Tak's shoulder. "I saw what a good relationship you have with Lilo, and the way you opened your home to your aunt and uncle and cousins, and I thought, maybe I should share my home, too." She leaned toward Nani and lowered her voice. "And between you and me, Mertle's been having trouble socializing for the past few years. So I figured it would do her good to have a sister around her age. Long story short, I adopted Tak!" finished Mrs. Edmonds.

Tak sidled over to Mertle and wrapped her slender arm around the ginger. "I just _adore_ my sister!"

Mertle shoved her away.

Tak's eyes flashed – not metaphorically, but literally flashed purple. "Sibling, _dear_, it's not _nice_ to deny affection to your little sister! APOLOGIZE!"

Nani leaned back and raised her eyebrows. Yes, there was definitely something off about this Tak girl.

Mertle's eyes lost focus, as if she were in a trance. "I'm sorry, Tak." She draped her arms around Tak's shoulders.

Mrs. Edmonds clasped her hands in front of her chest. "Aww, see how well they get along already?"

"Uh," said Nani. "I gotta get these groceries home before they get too warm. It was nice catching up, Mrs. Edmonds."

Tak suddenly pierced Nani with her gaze, and her eyes flashed. "Tell _no one_ about this meeting."

Nani's head felt like it had been submerged in cold, murky water. "I will tell no one about this meeting," she echoed faintly. It was difficult to think. She turned away from the Edmonds and began to walk toward her house, still clutching GIR.

"Oh, and don't forget your disgusting food. We wouldn't want it to spoil."

Nani obeyed, grabbing the handle of her bag and rolling it down the street, feeling like she was sleepwalking.

_Dusk_

_Ali'i Trail Entrance_

As Lilo approached the sign that marked the Ali'i Trail, her stomach fluttered. She didn't understand why she felt so nervous. She'd hiked the Ali'i Trail at night before, although that had been with two adults. Was she anxious because she was spending time alone with Dib? That couldn't be right. Dib was her friend. Why would he make her nervous?

Lilo tugged on the bottom of her T-shirt. She'd opted for practical clothing – sturdy hiking shoes, shorts, and a T-shirt with a stylized sea turtle – and she'd brought a backpack containing a flashlight, a water bottle, and her old Polaroid camera.

Lilo dug out the camera and idly turned it over in her hands. Then she hung the strap around her neck, thinking about all the memories she had made with her old camera.

"Hey, Lilo! Have you been waiting long?" Dib walked up to her, carrying his own backpack and wearing his usual attire. The only concession he'd made to the tropical heat was his pair of shorts.

"Not long," she said truthfully as the butterflies reinvigorated inside her stomach.

"Good," said Dib, turning toward the sign. "Ali'i Trail – Enter at your own risk," he read aloud.

"You know what they say – no risk, no reward." Lilo winked at Dib, which was unusual for her. Then again, it was an unusual night.

Dib smiled. "Then let's go." He unzipped his backpack and withdrew his video camera. "I have a theory – well, more of a hypothesis – that if you look at the Nightmarchers through a camera, they won't kill you. What do you think?" In the rapidly fading peach light of dusk, he gazed sincerely at her, waiting for her opinion. Lilo had never met anyone else who valued her thoughts on the supernatural. Nani played along with her, but she didn't care about the details the way Dib did.

"I think it's worth a try," she said, slowly walking onto the dirt trail in the forest. "But if you see them through your camera, you should still lay down flat on the ground. Legend says that if you show proper respect, the Nightmarchers usually let you live."

"Sounds like a good strategy," said Dib, falling into step beside her – the trail was wide enough for at least three people to hike side by side.

"There's also another version of the legend . . ." Lilo's face heated at the thought.

"What?" Dib glanced curiously at her.

"There's another version of the legend that says if you strip down naked, the Nightmarchers will let you live," she said hurriedly.

Dib laughed, although it was hard for Lilo to tell if he was amused or nervous. Odds were good that it was a blend of both.

"Lilo! Are you serious?" In the dimming light, Lilo couldn't tell if Dib was blushing, although at least she had reassurance that he couldn't see her darkened cheeks.

"It's really part of the legend!" She held up her hands in a pacifying gesture. "I didn't make it up."

"You don't really think we need to take off our clothes, do you?" asked Dib, stepping over a branch laying across the path.

"No, I think it'll be enough to lay down on the ground." Lilo ducked her head, wondering if she should have mentioned that version of the legend.

"It's getting dark," observed Dib. "And is it getting foggy?"

Lilo surveyed the trail ahead and saw the trees on either side fading into the mist. "Yes! One of the signs!" She drew her flashlight out of her backpack and switched it on, shining it on the ground in front of them.

Dib's head swiveled. "I don't even know if we can see them in this fog."

"Maybe we'll see the torches." Lilo brushed aside a branch that overhung the trail at her eye level.

"Shh." Dib laid his hand on her shoulder – she was pleasantly surprised, since he wasn't normally the touchy-feely type. "Do you hear that?"

Lilo clamped her mouth shut and strained to hear the beating of war drums.

Instead, she heard distant thunder.

"Another sign!" She grinned. "This is so exciting!"

Certain that they were getting close to the warrior spirits, the two young teens pressed forward. The mist thickened into heavy droplets that dampened their skin, hair, and clothes. Dib wiped his camera lens with his sleeve before wiping his glasses.

Then they heard them – the pounding of the drums.

An adolescent shriek tore out of Lilo's throat, and she clutched Dib's arm before pulling back. "Sorry."

Dib raised his eyebrows, but he was smiling. "Don't be." He held out his hand toward her, and she took it, a smile spreading across her face. "Let's find some Nightmarchers."

Hand in hand, they strode forward, the ground beginning to slant downward. Soon the last of the twilight faded, and the only sources of light were Lilo's flashlight and the waning moon struggling to break through the mist.

And then they saw the torches. First there was one orange light, glimmering in the distance before winking out.

Lilo gasped. "The Nightmarcher's torch! Quick, look through your camera!"

Dib held his camera up to his eye. Lilo squeezed his hand before reluctantly letting go, so she could hold both her flashlight and camera.

"Come on, Nightmarchers, show yourselves," muttered Dib.

The drumming continued as Lilo stared through her Polaroid's viewfinder, her field of vision reduced to a rectangle, and a dark, foggy one at that. Lightning flashed, and when darkness returned, she saw another orange light flickering, moving from left to right.

"There it is again!" she exclaimed, pressing the shutter button on her camera.

"I see it! And there's another one!" Sure enough, a second torch appeared behind the first, moving in the same direction.

Lilo inhaled sharply in her mounting excitement. "There's three!" The trio of lights hovered over the ground, appearing to float away from them, but glowing more steadily than they had been. She grabbed the photo that shot out of her camera and stuffed it into her backpack, not bothering to look at it.

"They're going that way! Come on!" Dib shoved his way through the underbrush off the side of the trail in the direction of the lights.

"Wait!" Lilo whirled and risked moving her camera away from her eye so she could better see where Dib was running. "Don't leave the trail! You could get lost!"

"I'll be fine! I'll just go back the way I came."

"But you can't even _see_ the way you came!" Lilo let out a low grunt of frustration as she realized that there was no stopping Dib once he'd made up his mind to get closer to the warrior spirits. She couldn't think of anything to do besides follow Dib and hope they could find their way back to the path. She began running to keep up with him, but then she slipped on the sloping ground that was slick from the drizzle. With effort, she regained her balance.

"Watch your step!" she called. "The ground's wet. And give me a chance to catch up!"

"Sorry." Dib slowed down to a walk until she was right behind him. "It's just that the Nightmarchers are getting away!"

He quickened his pace to a jog and plowed ahead through the ferns.

Biting her lip, Lilo shone her flashlight ahead of Dib. The trees and ferns seemed thinner ahead, but maybe it was just the fog hiding them. She realized the torches must be very bright for them to be visible through the fog . . .

. . . Unless they were much closer than she'd thought.

"Dib! I think we should get down just in case the Nightmarchers think we're not showing enough respect."

"Are you sure?" Dib slowed his steps once more, but he didn't crouch down. "What if we can't see them from the ground?"

"I think they're pretty close!" She held her camera up to her eye and peeked through the viewfinder. "Otherwise how could we see them through the fog?"

"Oh, I hadn't though of – whoa!" Dib dropped down in front of her – completely out of sight.

"Dib?" Lilo wondered if the ferns concealed him.

"I'm okay!" he called. "Little help!"

"_Dib?_" Pushing through the underbrush, she shone her flashlight ahead on the ground . . . Until there was no ground.

Gasping, she rushed forward and crouched down, shining her flashlight over the edge of the cliff. The first thing she saw was Dib's glasses glinting about six feet below her. With one hand, he clutched the roots trailing from the side of the cliff, but the roots looked too thin for Lilo's comfort. There was no telling how far above the ground they were because of the fog, but considering how close the Ali'i trail was to Waimea Canyon, it could have been very far indeed.

"Hang on!"

"What else am I gonna do?"

Rolling her eyes despite the serious situation, Lilo lay flat on the ground and stretched her hand down as far as she could reach. The Nightmarcher's torches were forgotten and she hardly noticed the drums over the hammering of her heart. Her fingertips were a few feet above her friend's hand.

"I'm gonna lower my camera strap," she told him.

"Will that hold my weight?" he asked, a slight tremor in his voice.

"I don't know! But I don't think those roots will!" Lilo removed the camera strap from her neck and lowered it toward Dib. He reached up with his free hand, but they were still a foot short.

Taking a deep breath, Lilo tried to steady her nerves. Panicking wouldn't help Dib.

"Alright, I just have to unclip the strap and we'll have enough length."

The roots began to snap.

Propping herself up on her elbows, Lilo scrambled to unhook the strap. Just as she lowered the strap by its full length, the roots broke clean through.

Dib fell, screaming, into the fog.

* * *

A/N: Literal cliffhanger! And a figurative cliffhanger with Tak and Nani.

Originally, Gaz was going to be the first to encounter Tak, but I quickly realized that Gaz would tell Dib right away, which would distract him from the Nightmarcher subplot. So now Nani gets to meet Tak, and I'm happy with the way it turned out.

And the part about stripping naked is a real version of the Nightmarcher legend, at least according to the Internet.


	3. Distance

_Drums of the islands, you're beating in my heart  
__You're with me no matter where I roam  
__If ever I wander, if ever we're apart  
__I know that you will lead me home_

-Elvis Presley, "Drums of the Islands"

_Waimea Canyon State Park_

Dib fell for a long time. It seemed like a full minute as he clawed at the side of the cliff, trying to stop his fall, but there was nothing sticking out of the sheer wall. The wind battered his clothes and made his eyes tear up.

This was it.

He crashed into the ground, landing on his back.

Dib felt numb as he stared up at the misty moon. That he was still aware of anything at all was a good sign, but he couldn't move – couldn't even breathe.

Okay. That was the first thing he needed to do. He attempted to move his diaphragm, but it wouldn't budge.

Sitting up would help – he was pretty sure he'd read somewhere that it was the most difficult to breathe while laying on one's back. But could he even move at all? Dib bent his arms and found that he could move a bit.

Over the howling wind and beating of the drums, Dib heard Lilo's voice. She sounded frantic, but he couldn't make out the words. He wanted to tell her that he was alright, but of course he needed to breathe first.

Shaking with effort, Dib braced his arms on the hard ground and clenched his abdominal muscles to haul himself into a seated position.

He felt lightheaded and dizzy as he straightened his arms and back and tried to inhale. Eons seemed to pass as the wind roared, Lilo yelled, and he attempted to lower his diaphragm and expand his lungs. Finally, he sucked in a raspy breath. Deeply and gratefully, he inhaled and exhaled a few more times. He was going to be okay. He craned his neck and looked up toward the sound of Lilo's voice. A tiny pinprick of light winked down at him. It had to be Lilo's flashlight, but it seemed awfully far away – could it be a trick of the mist? How far had he fallen? It couldn't be that far.

Dib inhaled once more before calling, "I'm okay!"

Lilo shouted a reply that Dib couldn't make out.

"_What?_" he shouted.

"What?" Lilo's voice came back faintly.

Dib sighed. "_I said, 'What?'_"

Lilo said something that sounded like it included the words "go" and "help." The light disappeared.

Lowering his head, Dib decided to find out if he could stand. He positioned his feet underneath his body in a crouch before slowly standing upright. His muscles felt stiff, but other than that he seemed completely fine. Dib removed his backpack and saw that one of the straps had torn off during the fall. He unzipped the backpack and sifted through the contents. His water bottle was crushed, and his digital recorder was shattered. Then Dib's eyes widened. His camera! He'd been holding it when he stepped off the cliff. He peered around in the faint, misty moonlight. The ground here was rocky and bare, not like the muddy, wooded trail he'd just fallen from. After a few minutes, he saw a black shard laying on the rough stone. He picked it up and held it in his palm. Great. He'd lost not only his evidence, but a perfectly good camera.

Then he furrowed his brow as he thought of the broader implications of his situation. Somehow his equipment had smashed on impact, but his body hadn't. Dib dropped the piece of plastic and took off his jacket, setting it on top of his backpack. Then he rolled up his sleeves and felt his arms all over. His elbows were somewhat tender from light scrapes, but other than that he seemed intact. How could this be?

While he examined his arms, he saw the smart watch his dad had made for him. It would be worth seeing if it still worked so he could call Gaz for help. Dib wasn't certain if Gaz would assist him even if he did contact her, but he reasoned that he had to try, since Lilo would no doubt have trouble locating the trail again in the dark. Even if by some miracle she did find her way back quickly, she didn't have a cell phone, and it could be at least an hour before she returned home and asked her family for help.

And so Dib pressed the button on the side of his watch. To his relief, the screen illuminated, initiating its start up program. Dib tapped the call button as soon as the home screen appeared.

"What?" asked Gaz, looking distracted.

"Can I ask you a huge favor?" asked Dib.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm kind of in the middle of something."

"Daughter! Why did you stop your guitar solo? It was very energizing!"

"Dad?" asked Dib. Their father had been spending more time at home ever since Gaz had shoplifted the watches, because as long as he was with her, he could keep her out of trouble. Dib wasn't eager to tell his dad what he'd gotten himself into, but it was better than being stuck in the middle of nowhere until sunrise.

"Oh, that's why you stopped." Membrane's voice sounded closer. "Hello, son!"

"Listen, Dad, we were hiking on the Ali'i Trail, and I left the path and fell off a cliff."

Gaz opened both eyes. "You idiot! What were you doing hiking after dark?"

Dib winced. His actions did sound stupid when he said them out loud. "Looking for the Nightmarchers. I think they tried to kill me."

Their father's face appeared over Gaz's shoulder. "What!? Someone tried to kill you!? Are you hurt?"

"I don't think so," said Dib, shaking his head, "but I don't know how to get out of the park. I can't climb up the cliff. I can walk in this canyon, but I have no idea where to go."

Gaz squinted her eyes. "Hold on, let me try something."

Their father raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing, daughter?"

"Stitch – I mean, 'Kenny' showed me this trick he used to find my location when _I_ was lost in the woods." The screen stayed the same on Dib's end, but Gaz seemed to see something she liked, judging by the way the corners of her mouth pulled slightly upward. "There."

"Ah, good work, honey! You always did have a way with technology." Membrane squeezed her shoulder.

The only times their father had displayed any affection toward Dib was when he showed an interest in "real" science. Still, to their dad's credit, he _had_ asked Dib if he was hurt, and he didn't appear to be angry with Dib.

"He's at the end of this fork in the canyon, here." Gaz's finger came forward to poke the screen.

Membrane nodded. "Daughter, give me your watch so I can use it to track your brother."

"Oh." Gaz frowned. "You don't want me to come with you?"

Dib was sure that Gaz just wanted to spend time with their dad – she couldn't care _that_ much about Dib.

Their father patted her shoulder. "I don't think that will be necessary, honey. I'll have my jet boots and headlamp with me. I'm sure I'll reach him in no time. You'll be alright here by yourself for an hour or two, won't you?"

"Obviously," said Gaz. Membrane used to leave them home alone for days at a time, the longest stretch being three weeks, with only his floating screen for interaction.

"But I just thought you might want some company," she added, as the screen blurred in motion.

"Your company is always welcome, Gazlene. Why don't you keep your watch and use it to locate your brother for me? Son, sit tight until we come get you."

"Wait, Dad. There are Nightmarchers in this forest. If you see the torches–"

"Who are these Nightmarchers you keep talking about?" asked their dad.

"They're Hawaiian warrior spirits," said Gaz.

Membrane moaned. "Son, now is not the time for your paranormal delusions!"

Dib's eyelid began to twitch. "But the whole reason I'm here is–"

"We'll talk about this later," his dad said firmly.

The call ended. Dib closed his eyes, wishing he could have a do-over on this night.

_Ali'i Trail_

Lilo shone her flashlight onto the path ahead of her as she propelled herself forward, her natural grace somewhat handicapped by the darkness and slippery ground. It had taken her about fifteen minutes to find the trail, and to her relief, she hadn't seen the eerie torches since she'd started to turn back. She'd been so excited to see them, but after they tried to kill Dib, she never wanted to see them again. Before, it was a fun ghost story, but at the moment, it was all too real and personal.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lilo glimpsed a light in the opposite direction of the moon. For a split second, she thought it was the Nightmarchers' torches, but she realized it was too high. She stared upward through the trees. There appeared to be two or three small lights moving in the direction she'd just come from – where she'd tied her sock to a branch to make sure she could find the spot where she'd left Dib. She stopped jogging to better gauge the lights' movements, and was fairly certain her first impression was correct. Lilo considered going back to see why these lights were moving toward Dib, but then she reasoned that she wouldn't be able to do anything about it even if they were going to do something to him. It was better to go get Stitch and Jumba – they would be more helpful in this situation than she could be. Picking up her pace, Lilo ran onward, tripping once but catching herself before she fell on her face. About twenty minutes later she reached the beginning of the trail – as well as the edge of the mist. The road that led up to the trail was clearly visible in the moonlight, and there were even a few stars winking through gaps in the clouds. Lilo sighed in relief, but she couldn't feel at ease knowing Dib was still in the thick of it.

As she began to trot down the road, she saw the lights moving overhead again. Now that she had a clearer view of the cool blue lights, she wondered how she could have mistaken them for the yellow torches. She slowed warily as the lights grew closer to her, until she made out a figure. There was definitely a head behind the highest, brightest light, and there were feet standing on top of the lower two lights. Lilo was fairly certain it wasn't another spirit, but then what _was_ it?

"Lilo! There you are!"

"_Dib?_" Lilo's brain suddenly assembled the image into something recognizable. The figure resolved into Professor Membrane wearing a headlamp and jet boots, hovering several feet above the ground. He held Gaz in one arm and Dib in the other. His son broke free of his hold and jumped down to the ground.

Lilo dashed toward him and hugged him tightly. "You're alright!"

"I tried to tell you at the cliff," he said, returning her embrace. "I called Gaz, and she and my dad came to get me."

Lilo pulled back from Dib and looked Membrane up and down. "I didn't know you had jet boots, Professor Membrane."

Membrane landed on the pavement and set his daughter down. "Oh, I'm sure there are a lot of things you don't know about me!" he said. "But that's a conversation for another day."

"I still don't understand how Dib survived falling from that height," Gaz spoke up, her eyes open slightly. "It had to be at least two hundred feet down."

Lilo inhaled sharply. "Two hundred feet! Are you sure?"

Gaz's frown deepened as she glanced up at her father. "I can't really be sure until I see the place in daylight, but it seemed to take a really long time to fly down to the bottom of the gorge."

"It probably wasn't as far as it seemed, daughter," said Membrane.

Dib wrinkled his brow and turned toward his father. "How far do you think I fell, Dad?"

"If I had to give an estimate, I'd say roughly forty feet." Membrane folded his hands behind his back.

"No way." Gaz brushed a damp lock of hair out of her eyes. "It had to have been farther than that. I couldn't see very well, but I saw some of the cliff when we flew down, and I know it was a lot more than forty feet."

"Well," said Membrane, patting her head, "we'll have to agree to disagree."

Gaz clenched her fists. "I do _not_ agree to disagree!"

"Are you _arguing_ with me?" Membrane raised his eyebrows.

"I know, it's _weird_," said Gaz, sounding surprised. "Usually I argue with Dib and he argues with you. But I know I'm right and you're wrong!"

Placing her hand on Dib's shoulder, Lilo asked, "Are you sure you're okay? Even if it was forty feet and not two hundred, that's still a long way."

Her friend nodded. "I told you, I feel fine."

"Dib said earlier that his ghost hunting equipment was destroyed when he landed. Not to sound like Dib, but how do you explain that?" asked Gaz.

Membrane rubbed his chin through his high collar. "Hm . . . It must be from eating Super Toast!"

Lilo tilted her head. "Super Toast?"

"That's right! I invented Super Toast to enhance the human body in every possible way! It's formulated to strengthen bones, muscles, nerves, and every physical function by a factor of ten! You've been eating so much Super Toast that it made you strong enough to withstand the impact of hitting the ground at a high speed." Membrane raised a fist in his enthusiasm.

Dib scratched his head. "I _guess_ that makes sense," he said uncertainly.

"Of course it does! I said it!"

Dib and Gaz both rolled their eyes.

Turning to Lilo, Membrane asked, "Does your family know where you are, child?"

The siblings' expressions changed from dismissal to shock as they gaped up at their father.

Lilo shook her head.

"Then we'll walk with you to your house and explain what happened. I'd fly you there, but my jets are calibrated to carry only two juveniles," he elaborated.

Dib blinked. "That's surprisingly thoughtful of you, Dad."

Membrane raised his hand with his palm facing up. "Well, I've been trying to be a more responsible parent ever since your sister's infraction, and being a responsible parent includes looking after my children's friends."

"I would have stolen something a lot sooner if I'd known it would get me this new version of Dad," said Gaz with a little smirk.

Membrane laughed. "I'm glad you haven't lost your sense of humor, Gazlene!"

Dib glanced at Lilo and shrugged.

_Pelekai Household_

Somehow, Stitch wound up acting as Zim's parole officer for the night. Jumba and Pleakley were in their ship, and Stitch had no idea where Lilo was. Nani had come home carrying GIR in her arms, complaining that she didn't feel well, and so she went to bed early. Before she went to her bedroom, Zim had offered to put away the groceries, probably out of boredom. Nani must have been extremely fatigued, because she accepted the offer without any stipulations.

And so Stitch found himself watching the Irken and his robot servant try a little of each food. It seemed to Stitch that the Irken diet was based on refined grains, since Zim preferred the pastries, crackers, and cereal. GIR, however, ate anything and everything, despite not requiring food. Stitch kept them from consuming too much of their food store, but he chose his battles and let Zim and GIR polish off an entire baguette.

Stitch even began to feel a bit peckish himself and broke out a snack cake. Before he could pop it into his mouth, however, he heard the front door open. His ears swiveled to better capture the sound.

"I'm here!" announced Lilo. "And Professor Membrane is with me!" she added significantly.

"Whaaat!? Dib's father is in _my_ house?" shrieked Zim, grabbing his wig and contacts.

"Not Zim's house," Stitch reminded him.

"I live here, don't I?" retorted Zim as he inserted his contacts.

Stitch looked at the array of partially eaten food and had to privately admit that Zim had made himself at home.

"GIR!" yelled Zim. "Put on your doggy disguise!"

The robot saluted as his eyes turned red. "Yes, sir!" he said before slipping his arms and legs inside the lime green suit.

Stitch dropped down on four legs and padded into the living room, Zim and GIR trailing after him. He saw that Lilo had brought not just Professor Membrane, but Dib and Gaz as well. While Gaz occasionally ate dinner with the Pelekais, Membrane had never come over to their house. Stitch figured there had to be a reason for his arrival, but since Membrane believed him to be dog, Stitch couldn't ask any questions at the moment.

"Hello, fellow humans!" said Zim, his anger covered by an amicable mask.

Membrane rocked back on his heels in surprise. "You're my son's foreign friend! I thought Miss Pelekai owned this house."

"He's not my friend," Dib said wearily.

Zim ignored him. "Technically she does, but I live here too, just doing human things like bathing in water."

"Oh?" Membrane tilted his head. "And how do you know Miss Pelekai?"

"He's our distant cousin," Lilo spoke up.

"Ah, I see the resemblance now that you mention it," said Membrane, glancing from Zim to Lilo.

Dib brought his palm to his forehead. Gaz snorted, but said nothing.

Keeping a straight face, Lilo said, "He does have two eyes, so that makes him look more like me than Jumba or Pleakley."

"Yes, _and_ we both have two legs!" Zim looked pleased with himself for thinking of this similarity.

Membrane wrinkled his forehead. "I suppose so. Anyhow, is Miss Pelekai home? I'd like to speak with her."

"Sure, I'll get her." He turned to his robot servant. "GIR! Go wake up the tall human female!"

"Meow!" GIR wiggled his arms before scampering upstairs.

Lilo raised her eyebrows. "She usually doesn't go to bed this early. Is she okay?"

"As okay as any human can be," said Zim with a shrug.

Stitch decided to follow GIR for a couple of reasons. First, he wanted to soften the blow of being awakened by GIR – something Stitch had been subjected to a few times. Second, he'd left his Kenny disguise upstairs, and he would be able to ask Membrane questions as Kenny. He caught up with GIR, picked him up, and set him behind his back.

"No, Blue Dog!" protested GIR. "I have to wake up Snack Lady!"

Stitch knocked on his caretaker's door before cracking it open. "Nani?" he asked quietly.

Nani was already stirring. "Wuh?" She rolled from her back onto her stomach and propped herself up with her arms. "What is it, Stitch?"

GIR leaped over Stitch. "Mary's dad wants to see you!"

Nani swung her legs over the side of her bed and squinted. "Who the heck is Mary?"

Stitch assumed GIR meant either Gaz or Dib, but it was hard to tell with the little malfunctioning robot.

"Membrane is here," clarified Stitch.

"Oh." Nani was more alert then, standing up and stretching. "What does he want?"

"World peace!" squealed GIR, wiggling his arms.

"Something happened," said Stitch with a shrug. He had deduced that Lilo and Dib had gotten into some kind of trouble, but it would be better if Nani heard it from Membrane.

"Alright, I'm coming." She rubbed the crust out of her eyes and started walking toward the door. "Ugh, I feel like I'm getting a cold."

Stitch scurried into the hallway and took the lift up to the room he shared with Lilo. He picked up his shirt, pants, wig, and glasses, hurriedly putting them on. By the time he sprinted downstairs on his hind legs, Professor Membrane and his children were sitting on the couch, while Nani, Lilo, Zim, and GIR sat in mismatched chairs.

"What were you doing at Waimea Canyon at night?" demanded Nani as she leaned forward in her seat.

"We didn't mean to go there. We went to the Ali'i Trail, but we saw the Nightmarchers' torches and Dib followed them," explained Lilo, grabbing the fingers of one hand with the other.

Nani groaned. "Lilo, you know you're not supposed to go out at night without an adult!"

Stitch felt a little hurt that Lilo would go to the Ali'i Trail without him – without even telling him – but he wanted to give her a chance to explain herself before rushing to judgment. "Lilo went to Ali'i Trail without Stitch?" he asked carefully.

Lilo's coffee-toned eyes widened. "I . . . It's not that I didn't want . . . Stitch there," she began haltingly.

Then she turned her head as the front door opened.

"What is going on?" asked Jumba as he lumbered through the doorway. "Did you have party without inviting Jumba?" He teasingly shook his finger at Nani.

"Surprise," Nani sarcastically replied, spreading her hands.

"Pff. Worst party ever," muttered Gaz.

"Actually, Dr. Jookiba, my son and your niece went to Waimea Canyon to hunt for spirits," said Membrane, shaking his head in disapproval at the very word. "My son called and asked us to come get him," he added, wrapping his arm around Gaz's slender shoulders, "and then we found your niece and walked home with her."

Jumba tilted his head back in surprise. "Thank you, Professor. Is very responsible of you."

Nani glanced from Lilo to Dib with a furrowed brow. "So what happened, exactly? Did you get lost, or scared?"

And so Lilo explained what happened, with Dib cutting in a few times to add details.

Zim, who'd been oddly quiet during the conversation, burst into a cackle when they got to the part about Dib falling off the cliff. "The Dib almost killed himself with his own stupidity! It's perfect!"

Membrane turned to face Dib. "I don't understand your friend's sense of humor, son."

"Again, we're not friends." Dib glared at Zim. "Are you finished yet?"

"Gimme a minute." Zim held up his finger before inhaling deeply and letting out another laugh. "Mwahahaha!"

"Why did Lilo not tell Stitch where you were going?" Stitch tended to use words sparingly, but it was worth speaking to get the answers he needed.

"I . . . I just thought that since I'm older, I don't need to tell you – Stitch – where I'm going all the time." Even Lilo realized how inadequate this answer was as she shrank into herself.

"Lilo is too old to talk to Stitch?" asked Stitch with a frown.

Lilo's eyes widened. "I didn't mean it like that!"

Nani glowered at her sister. "Lilo, until you're eighteen, you have to tell me where you're going! You can't just sneak into the forest at night without an adult. I hope you learned your lesson. Dib could have been killed!"

"It's not her fault!" Dib said loyally. "She told me not to leave the trail, but I didn't listen. If I had stayed on the trail, I wouldn't have fallen."

Lilo squeezed his hand. "That's nice of you to say, Dib, but it is my fault. It was my idea to look for the Nightmarchers. If it wasn't for me, none of this would've happened."

"Let's just say it's both of your faults." Zim pointed at them and stared at Nani. "Punish theeeeem!"

Nani blinked. "Uh, I don't have the authority to punish Dib. Lilo, you're grounded for, uh, a week."

Lilo sighed. "Okay."

"And you have to go tell Pleakley what you did."

Lilo's fists clenched. "But that's not fair!"

"Stop whining." Gaz folded her arms. "I can't stand whining."

"You know," Jumba spoke up, rubbing his round chin, "is surprising that Dib was not injured. Would not have thought it possible for human to survive two hundred foot drop."

"It might not have been that far," Dib said doubtfully.

"I think it was." Gaz peered up at Jumba. "But Dad says that eating so much Super Toast made him strong."

Jumba stared back at Gaz before turning his four-eyed gaze to her brother. "Well, Professor Membrane is expert on Super Toast."

Nani huffed. "Great, now kids are gonna think eating Super Toast will make them invincible, and they'll act even more lolo!"

Membrane raised his hand in a defensive gesture. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble. The last thing I want is to encourage children to be reckless."

"Really?" Nani folded her arms. "I've seen your show."

"I have a disclaimer that says not to try this at home in every episode!" countered Membrane.

Nani raised her hand and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, I know this isn't your fault. I've just had a lot to deal with today. Something . . ." She looked pained, as if physically straining to put words together. "Something weird happened . . . when . . . when I was at the outdoor market . . ."

"What's wrong, Nani?" Lilo stood and took a step toward her sister. "What happened?"

"I saw the Edmonds, and . . ."

"The weenie girl!" shouted GIR.

Everyone eyed him, nonplussed.

"'Member," said GIR, turning to Zim and spreading his arms, "she had the giant weenie stand. Dib climbed up the side of it and I rode on the back of his big head!"

Membrane leaned back. "Is it just me, or does that dog sound like it's talking?"

Nani facepalmed. In the familiar setting, she'd forgotten than Membrane wasn't in on the knowledge of aliens and androids.

Zim squinted at him. "Don't you have to go do science somewhere?"

"Well, it has been four hours since I've worked on any of my inventions." Membrane pensively tapped his chin with a gloved finger. "And the reason I came here was to explain what happened in the forest tonight. So I suppose I'll be on my way. Come on, kids." He stood and placed his hands on his children's backs. "I'll see you at work tomorrow, Dr. Jookiba."

Dib seemed reluctant to leave. "GIR has to be talking about Tak. If she's here, we need to find out what she's up to!"

Nani said nothing, but her eyes lit up in recognition at the name.

"Whaaat!?" Zim jumped out of his chair, balling his hands into fists. "Tak is here, on this island?"

"It sure looks that way," said Gaz, rising from he couch.

"What did Tak do, Nani?" Dib stood up next to his sister. "Do you remember?"

Nani furrowed her brow. "Kind of . . . I can't say." She shook her head. "I mean, I don't think I could tell you if my life depended on it. It's like something's stopping me that I have no control of," she added, waving her hand in front of her forehead.

Jumba tapped his fingers together. "If your mind is under Irken influence, I think I know how to neutralize it."

"I'm very confused." Membrane held up both of his hands. "Is this an inside joke with some sort of elaborate backstory?"

"Uh, yes!" Zim gave him a manic grin. "It's just a joke. It would take too long to explain."

"Ah, I figured it must be something like that. Well, we really must be going now. You can play with your little friends tomorrow, son."

"But Tak–"

"We won't be able to do anything about her just sitting here talking," interrupted Gaz. "We'll have better luck looking for her tomorrow. Unlike Nani, Tak can't use her mind trick on us." She tapped her temple.

Dib blinked. "That actually makes a lot of sense.

"What do you mean, actually?" Gaz crossed her arms.

Dib held up his hands as if to ward her off. Although his sister had mellowed, he still had recent memories of her smacking him for the slightest offense.

"I just mean that I'm surprised you care. Not that I'm complaining!" he added quickly.

"Don't make a big deal out of it." Gaz started walking toward the door. "I'm not about to start going on paranormal investigations with you and Lilo. But Tak is better at than Zim at conquering, so I should probably help stop her."

"Hey!" protested Zim.

Gaz ignored him, putting her hand on the doorknob. "Come on, I have a guitar solo to finish."

* * *

A/N: This chapter didn't want to end, so you get a longer one.

The influence of "Enter the Florpus" is evident in this chapter. If I hadn't watched the Netflix special, Membrane and Gaz wouldn't have been anywhere near as helpful. In this fic's continuity, it was easy to attribute the change to reacting to Gaz getting busted for shoplifting.

Also, the only reason Pleakley wasn't in the last scene is that there were already too many characters for me to juggle. Hence I put off his reaction until the next chapter.


End file.
